Rotational binding for a free style snowboard

Abstract

A rotational boot binding for mounting on a free style snowboard. The binding allows the user of the snowboard to wear hard shell boots and while boarding rotate both feet in a vertical plane for shifting his or her weight to the toe or the heel of the board. The binding includes a base plate having a plurality of holes therein for attaching and adjusting the base plate at an angle from 30 to 120 degrees to an axis along a length of the snowboard and centered thereon. The base plate is attached to a foot plate by a horizontal pivot pin. The pivot pin allows the foot plate to rotate on the base plate in a vertical plane thereby allowing a shift of weight to the toe or to the heel of the snow board and thus control the movement of the snowboard. The binding includes a toe base plate, a toe foot plate, a heel base plate and a heel foot plate. By having separate toe plates and heel plates, the binding can be adjusted on the snowboard for a wide range of different lengths of boot. A pair of the subject bindings for the front foot and the rear foot are mounted on the snowboard for different types of foot stances such as a duck foot stance. Also, the bindings can be used for a regular foot mounting with the left foot forward on the snowboard or a goofy foot mounting with the right foot forward on the snowboard.

The embodiments of the invention for which an exclusive privilege and property right is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A rotational boot binding for mounting on a free style snowboard, the snowboard having a horizontal axis along a length of a center line of the snowboard, the binding receiving a boot releasably secured thereon, the binding comprising: a base plate adapted for mounting on the snowboard, said base plate positioned on the snowboard at an angle to the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard;   a foot plate pivotally mounted on said base plate, said foot plate rotating in a vertical plane on said base plate, said foot plate adapted for receiving the boot thereon; and   a pair of rubber bumpers mounted on opposite sides of said base plate, said bumpers engaging a portion of said foot plate for limiting the amount of rotation of said foot plate, said rubber bumpers adjustable on said base plate for adjusting the amount of rotation of said foot plate.   
     
     
       2. The binding as described in claim 1 wherein said foot plate is rotatable in the vertical plane of 0 to 15 degrees from an axis of a vertical center line through the center of said base plate. 
     
     
       3. The binding as described in claim 1 wherein said base plate is positioned on the snowboard at an angle of 30 degrees and greater from the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard. 
     
     
       4. The binding as described in claim 1 wherein said base plate is positioned on the snowboard at an angle in a range of 30 to 120 degrees from the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard. 
     
     
       5. A rotational boot binding for mounting on a free style snowboard, the snowboard having a horizontal axis along a length of a center line of the snowboard, the binding receiving a boot releasably secured thereon, the binding comprising: a toe base plate and a heel base plate adapted for mounting on the snowboard, said toe base plate and said heel base plate positioned on the snowboard at an angle to the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard;   a toe foot plate pivotally mounted on said toe base plate, a heel foot plate pivotally mounted on said heel base plate, said toe foot plate rotating in a vertical plane on said toe base plate, said heel foot plate rotating in a vertical plane on said heel base plate, said toe foot plate and said heel foot plate adapted for receiving the boot thereon;   a first pair of rubber bumpers mounted on opposite sides of said toe base plate and a second pair of rubber bumpers mounted on opposite sides of said heel base plate, said bumpers engaging a portion of said toe foot plate and a portion of said heel foot plate for limiting the amount of rotation of said toe foot plate and of said heel foot plate, said rubber bumpers adjustable on said toe base plate and on said heel base plate for adjusting the amount of rotation of said toe foot plate and of said heel foot plate.   
     
     
       6. The binding as described in claim 5 wherein said toe base plate and said heel base plate are positioned on the snowboard at an angle of 30 degrees and greater from the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard. 
     
     
       7. The binding as described in claim 5 wherein said toe base plate and said heel base plate are positioned on the snowboard at an angle in a range of 30 to 120 degrees from the horizonal axis of the center line of the snowboard. 
     
     
       8. The binding as described in claim 5 wherein said toe foot plate and said heel foot plate are rotatable in a vertical plane of 0 to 15 degrees from an axis of a vertical center line through the center of said toe base plate and said heel base plate. 
     
     
       9. The binding as described in claim 5 wherein a distance from an axis of rotation of said toe foot plate and said heel foot plate on said toe base plate and said heel foot plate to the top of the snowboard is in a range of 1/2 to 1 inches for providing a low center of gravity and greater control in the movement of the snowboard. 
     
     
       10. A rotational boot binding for mounting on a free style snowboard, the snowboard having a horizontal axis along a length of a center line of the snowboard, the binding receiving a boot releasably secured thereon, the binding comprising: a base plate adapted for mounting on the snowboard, said base plate positioned on the snowboard at an angle to the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard;   a foot plate pivotally mounted on said base plate, said foot plate rotating in a vertical plane on said base plate, said foot plate adapted for receiving the boot thereon; and   a pivot space disposed on opposite sides of said base plate and between a top portion of said base plate and a bottom portion of said foot plate, said pivot space providing freedom of movement in allowing said foot plate to pivot on said base plate.   
     
     
       11. The binding as described in claim 10 wherein said foot plate is rotatable within said pivot space in the vertical plane and in a range of 5 to 15 degrees from an axis of a vertical center line through the center of said base plate. 
     
     
       12. The binding as described in claim 10 wherein said base plate is divided into a toe base plate and a heel base plate and said foot plate is divided into a toe foot plate and a heel foot plate, said toe foot plate pivotally mounted on said toe base plate, said heel foot plate pivotally mounted on said heel base plate. 
     
     
       13. The binding as described in claim 10 wherein said base plate is positioned on the snowboard at an angle of 30 degrees and greater from the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard. 
     
     
       14. The binding as described in claim 10 wherein said base plate is positioned on the snowboard at an angle in a range of 30 to 120 degrees from the horizontal axis of the center line of the snowboard.